The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1887-03-10
Military.s Of Russia.

- ~Nesiss.S'
In view Of the present European dis
content and the warlikc aspect Of foi
eigD affairs concise account of th,
present military strength of Russi,
will be OF interest.
BY au imperial ukase Of Nov. 4
1870. every Russian subject is liaLl,
TO twenty years military service, the
period Of liability beginning in some
parts Of the Empire at Is, iu Others
at 20. The infantry of the active
army comprises about 7S3 393 men,
with 35,62O horses and $500 oars
riases. Tho first infantry reserve
has strength Of 527,175 men. Be-
sides there are six local battalions,
SO called, numbering in all 5,49i
mon, and six special reserve batta-
hons in Asia, numbering 6, 02i men.
The gross total Of tho Russian infau..
try, active and first reserve, is .4GG,
BIZ men. When TO this nre added
'ho cavalry forces and the 'leyics in
mass it appears that Russin, if
need he, could defend herself with
over 5,5OO;OOO men, all of whom
have received some military training
AS for the navy. This is divided
'nto three divisions-theB Baltic fleet,
the Black Sea iloet, aud the 81 beriau
iieet. 1t comprises seventeen SCI .
going ironclads. Tnese are not,
however. of the most recent ,constuc-
ton. But there are now building
for use 10 the Rlack Sea three very
powerful irouclads. These are cqual
to any, gave perhaps one or two,
that carry the British Nag. In the
Caspian Sea Russia has s:xtOs4
vessels, and 10 the Sea of Aral six
These are gnn-beariug steamers;
20 they afford ample means Of TRIMS
port of stores and troops to the
Afghan frontier. About half-way
down on the west coast Of the Cas-
plan is Baku; which is connected by
rail with Southern and interior
Russia Directly across on the OPP
posiio coast is Fort Michaeloffski.
Thither by rail to Baku and thence
by steamer, or by steamer from the
mouth Of the Ural in the north.
reinforcement could be conveyed
With ease and speed. From this
fort, which IS grand strategic point,
an extensive railroad runs southeast
through Persia and to the East.
Daring the last six months every
military post along the line of this
railway has been greatly strengthen
ed: and between 10000 and 10000
men are now distribu ted between
Fort Micba eloffski and Samalkand
la the other garrisons Of tho Cau
casus there are 100000 men, 50 that
if war were declared to-day a large
body Of Russian troops-100,000 if
needed-would certainly be in AZ
ghausstan aud almost at the gates OF
Herat by this day fortnight. The
first victory consequently, would
almost inevitably be Russian Aud
all students Of Asiatic warfare know
tho peculiar value aud prestige TO be
thus gained. England could net
reach Herat within month from the
time OF Russia arrival at tho point;
and by that time, even on the suppo-
sition that tho Afghans still contin-
ued loyal to the English, Herat
would probably bavs fallen. THUS
if Russia actually does intend TO go
to war in the spring, it seems rs #
she would have pretty nearly every
thing her own way in Afghanistan
That there would be no sort OF jus
tice in sucha move is, Of course,
evident. but that it would be the
expression OF very wise policy of
statecraft if equally plain.
We need not put much con
fdence in the statement of the Pol-
ish paper Czas, to the effect that
war in the spring is certainty.
But there is no question that it
seems altogether probable, and that
il it does come the fighting strength
Of Russia will be all but inviucible.
The question why should Russia
fight is, for various reasons, not difs
ficult OF answer.
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